204

Perfians and their auxiliary troops garrifoned within
the white castle of Memphis: this was the fixth
fatrapy. The feventh was compofed of the Satga-
gydæ, the Gandarii, the Dadicæ and Aparytæ, who
together paid one hundred and feventy talents. The
eighth fatrapy furnished three hundred talents, and
confifted of Sufa and the reft of the Ciffians.

XCII. Babylon and the other parts of Affyria conftituted the ninth fatrapy, and paid a thoufand talents of filver, with five hundred young eunuchs, The tenth fatrapy furnished four hundred and fifty talents, and confifted of Ecbatana, the rest of Media, the Parycanii, and the Orthocorybantes. The Cafpians, the Pauficæ, the Pantimathi, and the Daritæ, contributed amongst them two hundred talents, and formed the eleventh fatrapy. The twelfth produced three hundred and fixty talents, and was compofed of the whole country from the Bactrians to Æglos.

XCIII. From the thirteenth fatrapy four hundred talents were levied; this comprehended Pactyïca, the Armeniaris, with the contiguous nations, as far as the Euxine. The fourteenth fatrapy confifted of the Sangatians, the Sarangæans, the Thamanæans, Utians, and Mendi, with thofe who inhabit the inlands of the Red Sea, Where the king fends thofe whom he banishes thefe jointly contributed fix hundred

106

7-70

talents. 20

17.

106 Whom he banishes.]-Banifhment feems to have been

adopted

talents. The Sace and Cafpii formed the fifteenth fatrapy, and provided two hundred and fifty talents. Three hundred talents were levied from the Parthians, Chorafmians, Sogdians, and Arians, who were the fixteenth fatrapy.

XCIV. The Paricanii and Æthiopians of Afia paid four hundred talents, and formed the feventeenth fatrapy. The eighteenth was taxed at two hundred talents, and was compofed of the Matieni, the Safpires, and Alarodians. The Mofchi, 213

adopted as a punishment at a very early perfod of the world; 3 and it may be fuppofed that, in the infancy of fociety, men, reluctant to fanguinary measures, would have recourfe to the ex20. pulfion of mischievous or unworthy members, as the fimpler and lefs odious remedy. When we confider the effect which exile has had upon the minds of the greatest and wisest of mankinds and reflect on that attractive sweetness of the natal foil, which whilst we admire in poetic description we ftill feel to be ratione valentior omni, it feems wonderful that banishment fhould not more frequently supersede the neceffity of fanguinary punishments. That Ovid, whofe mind was enervated by licentious habits, should deplore, in strains the most melancholy, the abfence of what alone could make life fupportable, may not per haps be thought wonderful; but that Cicero, whofe whole life was a life of philofophic difcipline, fhould fo entirely lofe his firmnefs, and forget his dignity, may juftify our concluding of the punishment of exile, that human vengeance need not inflict a more fevere calamity. In oppofition to what I have afferted above, fome reader will perhaps be inclined to cite the example of Lord Bolingbroke, his conduct, and his reflections upon exile; but I think I can difcern through that laboured apo. logy, a fécrét chagrin and uneafinefs, which convinces me at leaft, that whilft he acted the philofopher and the ftoic, he had the common feelings and infirmities of man.-T.

VOL. II.

I

Tibareni,

Tibareni, Macrones, Mofynoci, and Mardians, provided three hundred talents, and were the nineteenth fatrapy. The Indians, the most numerous nation of whom we have any knowledge, were proportionally taxed; they formed the twentieth fatrapy, and furnished fix hundred talents in golden ingots.

t

XCV. If the Babylonian money be reduced to the standard of the Euboic talent, the aggregate fum will be found to be nine thousand eight hundred and eighty talents in filver; and, eftimating the gold at thirteen times 107 the value of filver, there will be found, according to the Euboic talent, four thoufand fix hundred and eighty of these talents. The whole being estimated together, it will appear that the annual tribute paid to Darius was fourteen thousand

107 Thirteen times the value of filver.]-The proportion of gold to filver varied at different times, according to the abundance of these two metals. In the time of Darius it was thirteen to one; in the time of Plato, twelve; and in the time of Menander, the comic poet, it was ten.--Larcher.

In the time of Julius Cæfar the proportion of gold to filver at Rome was no more than nine to one. This arofe from the prodigious quantity of gold which Cæfar had obtained from the plunder of cities and temples. It is generally fuppofed amongst the learned, that in the gold coin of the ancients one-fiftieth part was alloy.-T.

108 The annual tribute.]-The comparison of two paffages in Herodotus (book i. chap. cxcii. and book iii. chaps. lxxxix. xcvi.) reveals an important difference between the gross and the net revenue of Perfia, the fums paid by the provinces, and the gold or filver depofited in the royal treafury. The monarch

thoufand five hundred and fixty talents, omitting
many trifling fums not deferving our attention.

XCVI. Such was the fum which Afia principally,36
and Africa in fome fmall proportion, paid to Darius.
In procefs of time the islands alfo were taxed, as was
that part of Europe which extends to Theffaly. The
manner in which the king deposited these riches in
his treasury; was this:-The gold and filver was
melted and poured into earthen veffels; the veffel,
when full, was removed, leaving the metal in a mass.
When any was wanted, fuch a piece was broken
off as the contingence required.

Edonar

XCVII. We have thus defcribed the different fatrapies, and the impoft on each. Perfia is the only province which I have not mentioned as tributary. The Perfians are not compelled to pay any specific taxes, but they prefent a regular gra-tuity. The Æthiopians who border upon Ægypt, fubdued by Cambyfes in his expedition against the

1317 Ethiopian Macrobians, are fimilarly circumstanced,

45

as are alfo the inhabitants of the facred town of

Nyffa, who have feftivals in honour of Bacchus. //
Thefe Æthiopians, with their neighbours, resemble
in their customs the Calantian Indians: they have
the fame rites of fepulture 109, and their dwellings

103-76.2.187.

are

might annually fave three millions fix hundred thousand pounds
of the seventeen or eighteen millions raised upon the people.-
Gibbon.

109 The fame rites of fepulture.]-The word in the text is

are fubterraneous.

Once in Once in every three years these two nations prefent to the king two chonices of gold unrefined, two hundred blocks of ebony, twenty large elephants teeth, and five Æthiopian youths, which cuftom has been continued to my time. The people of Colchos and their neighbours, as far as mount Caucafus, impofed upon themselves the 204 payment of a gratuity. To this latter place the Perfian authority extends; northward of this their name infpires no regard. Every five years the nations above-mentioned prefent the king with an hundred youths and an hundred virgins", which alfo has been continued within my remembrance. The

223

Arabians contribute every year frankincenfe to the !!

Onequart, which means grains to fay of two different nations
that they use the fame grain, feems ridiculous enough. Valcnaer

127

130 propofes to read onari, which feems obvious and fatisfactory. 31

σήματι,

110 The people of Colchos.]-It was the boaft of the Colchians, that their ancestors had checked the victories of Sefoftris, but they funk without any memorable effort under the arms of Cyrus, followed in diftant wars the standard of the great king, and prefented him every fifth year with a hundred boys and as many virgins, the faireft produce of the land. Yet he accepted this gift like the gold and ebony of India, the frankincenfe of the Arabs, and the negroes and ivory of Ethiopia: The Colchians 'were not subject to the dominion of a fatrap, and they continued to enjoy the name as well as fubstance of national independence.-Gibbon.

* Hundred virgins.]—The native race of Perfians is fmall and ugly, but it has been improved by the perpetual mixture of Circaffian blood. This remark Mr. Gibbon applies to the Perfian women in the time of Julian. Amongst modern travellers, the beauty of the Perfian ladies is a conftant theme of praise and admiration.-T.

amount